Skinny Secrets: 7 Ways Naturally Fit People Stay in Super Shape

Genetics certainly play a role in whatever body shape we’re given, but there are habits that people who stay lean and in shape seem to share that may contribute to their fit physiques.

Sometimes we sabotage ourselves, despite our best efforts and hard work, simply because we’re missing a crucial piece of the diet or fitness picture; and that’s when we should look to the effortlessly trim among us and ask for answers.

What we’d love to know is how they stay in such super shape, and most importantly, how can we do the same?

At this point, we all know the importance of eating something for breakfast so we aren’t starving by lunchtime, leading to overeating.

But what fit and trim people seem to do differently is to eat a smart breakfast: one including lean protein for long-term energy and muscle-building, with carbs for quick energy if exercise is in the near future.

For example, an egg white and vegetable omelet with whole grain toast would be a better choice than a sugary granola bar or a bagel.

2. Find a Fun Form of Exercise—

If you don’t like what you’re doing to stay in shape, you won’t stick with it, and consistency is the key to staying fit.

What those naturally thin people have figured out is that finding an enjoyable exercise program is the most important fitness factor, rather than following trends or blindly doing what they’ve been told is best.

If you dread your workouts, rather than looking forward to them, try some different activities until you find something fun.

3. Choose Water, and Often—

It’s highly unlikely you’ll see a trim person chugging sugary sodas or even diet sodas with artificial sweeteners that can actually make people feel hungry. Water is generally the drink of choice for most health-conscious and slim people.

Water also plays an important role in all of the metabolic processes of your body, so if you want to keep the engine burning calories at top speed, give it the fuel it needs (at least 8-10 glasses per day).

4. Prioritize Sleep—

Being tired can lead to compensatory overeating, lowering of willpower, and the release of the stress hormone cortisol which contributes to weight gain. Being tired can also make people crave sugar because of the boost of energy we know it will bring, and that’s not a healthy habit.

Try to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night to stay strong, get sick less often, and avoid unnecessary weight gain.

And listen to your body: if you’re utterly exhausted, don’t force yourself to exercise, as you might injure yourself, or have a crummy workout. Instead, go to bed early so you’ll wake up refreshed and ready to go the next day.

5. Make Smart Food Choices—

Rather than jumping onto the latest diet trends and seeking a magical weight loss recipe that doesn’t exist, people who stay effortlessly thin don’t diet at all: they simply make healthy food choices.

To do this, switch your focus from obsessively calorie counting to eating whole, real foods and controlling portions to reasonable sizes. You don’t need to be stuffed after every meal, nor should you ever feel hungry if you’re finding the right dietary balance.

6. No Lazy Weekends—

This doesn’t mean you can’t relax and have fun on your days off work, but people who maintain healthy bodies don’t use the weekends as an excuse to eat horrible foods and skip all workouts.

Go to the gym or do whatever form of exercise you normally do on the weekends, and then relax, knowing you haven’t lost progress.

An occasional treat is fine, obviously, but you want to avoid the bad habit of viewing weekends as excuses for endless gluttony and laziness.

7. No Comparisons—

One habit researchers have noticed most people who stay effortlessly fit share is that they don’t waste time comparing themselves to others.

This is an often demotivating exercise in pointlessness, as by trying to look like someone you’re not, you’re only setting yourself up for feelings of inadequacy and failure.

So don’t worry about how you compare to anyone else; you’re only competing with yourself to try to be the healthiest, fittest, best you that you can be.

Researchers have discovered that the slender people who seem to have been gifted with high metabolisms and a propensity for building lean muscle are actually doing many of the same things as each other, with similar dietary and lifestyle habits.

These findings imply that perhaps genetics don’t play as large a role in body size as we once thought, and most importantly, that maybe the rest of us can learn some of their good habits and get into super shape, too. Use the tips above to discover and start living the slimming secrets of the skinny.